DERA ISMAIL KHAN  -    Dera Ismail Khan district is one of the most vulnerable areas in Pakistan to the effects of climate change, as evidenced by recent flash floods and rising temperatures. The district faces various climatic hazards, including extreme high temperatures, flash floods, riverine floods, urban floods, landslides, avalanches, and heavy rainfall in the mountainous regions along the Hindu Kush Range. The heavy rainfall in Balochistan and Afghanistan generates floods that travel through the mountains and enter the plains of DI Khan through different Zams.

The flood channels under different Zams have deteriorated due to poor maintenance by the Rodh Kohi Department. They are silted up, embankments are breached, and natural plants have grown on the channel beds, reducing their capacity to manage unusual floods. As a result, floodwaters overflow, causing significant damage to infrastructure, agriculture, livestock, and human lives.

Under future climate change scenarios, DI Khan is expected to experience increased river flow variability due to changing precipitation patterns and glacier melt. Demand for irrigation water may rise due to higher evaporation rates, while yields of wheat and rice are expected to decline, depending on water availability. Extreme heat waves may increase mortality rates, and urban drainage systems may struggle with high rainfall and flash floods.

Ahmad Zeb Khan, a climate expert associated with the Serve organization, emphasized the need to address these challenges to achieve sustained economic growth. He suggested focusing on gender-sensitive adaptation, ensuring water, food, and energy security, and minimizing risks from extreme weather events like floods and droughts. Establishing an early warning system is also crucial to minimizing damages and loss of life.

In 2022, 233 villages across five tehsils in DI Khan were severely impacted by hill torrents caused by climate change. The floods, which occurred around midnight, damaged or destroyed homes and infrastructure. The primary cause was the choking of flood drains originating from Tank Zam, Gomal Zam, Sheikh Haider Zam, Chaudwan Zam, and Daraban Zam, with discharge rates exceeding 100,000 cusecs. Villages along these drains were inundated, causing nearly 90% of houses to collapse and damaging water supply systems and drainage.

While the government and non-government agencies have provided some support, significant recovery efforts are still needed to restore basic infrastructure in these flood-affected villages. The government is working on restoring major highways, schools, and health facilities, but smaller infrastructure projects, such as farm-to-market roads, small bridges, and flood protection walls, remain unrepaired. The livelihoods of the people in these villages have also been severely affected, with many selling assets to rebuild their homes.

The agriculture sector in the region has been strained by climate change, disrupting traditional cultivation patterns. The sowing and harvesting of crops, particularly wheat, have shifted, depending on rainfall and weather patterns.

To prevent future catastrophes, the most important step is to rehabilitate the flood channels of Tank Zam, Daraban Zam, Sheikh Haider Zam, and Chaudwan Zam. Restoring these channels will provide irrigation water to the arid zone and act as drains for floodwaters. The channels are in dire need of desilting, embankment strengthening, and the removal of plants and bushes from the beds. Additionally, the district, which is deficient in forests, needs more afforestation to mitigate the effects of climate change.